said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not struwed: 25. And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed.^ 27. Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. We cannot read this, without an awful reflection on the case of those who appear to run through life with a vain confidence that no reckoning shall be made, no judgment follow. When we consider in what way many use, or rather fail to use, all the gifts of nature and of grace, of education and of fortune, might we not be disposed to say, Surely it has been revealed to these, that their lives shall never be inquired into. Conceive a stranger to our world to behold one man misusing his faculties to destroy the best and holiest feelings of his fellowcreatures; to behold another employing the gifts of wit or eloquence to scoff at the gracious Giver; That is, such was thy wicked opinion. Therefore “out of thine own mouth will I judge thee." Thou oughtest to have acted according to that opinion. to behold another wasting the blessings of superior fortune in vice and extravagance; to behold another using his influence over the young and inex perienced to draw them into evil; to behold another trifling away the short space allowed him in amusements probably hurtful, and at least unprofitable: would he not ask, can these be the talents of time, and of ability, and of wealth, and of authority, for which he who has the most entrusted to him, is the most awfully responsible? How striking are the Judge's words: at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Your advice might have turned many from their evil way; your genius might have recommended religion; your leisure might have instructed the ignorant; your superfluous wealth might have relieved the distress of many of my afflicted servants; and thus at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. May the Spirit of God enlighten us to discern the talents which belong to our respective stations and acquirements, and the way in which it is his will that we should trade with them: that whether over many things or over few, we may be found faithful, and admitted to the joy of our Lord. LECTURE LXIII. THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAST JUDGMENT DESCRIBED. MATT. XXV. 31-46. 31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. A description is here given us of that awful day, which shall assign their everlasting destiny to all the children of Adam. A description uttered by him, who is himself the arbiter of that destiny. He who will be himself judge, declares the grounds of his judgment. He who is "the door" of the heavenly kingdom, declares whom he will admit, and whom he will exclude. He, to whom "all things are delivered of the Father," declares in what manner he will execute his trust. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth :" "the Lord, even the most mighty God, hath spoken." 'Matt. xi. 27. to behold another wasting the blessings of superior fortune in vice and extravagance; to behold another using his influence over the young and inex perienced to draw them into evil; to behold another trifling away the short space allowed him in amusements probably hurtful, and at least unprofitable: would he not ask, can these be the talents of time, and of ability, and of wealth, and of authority, for which he who has the most entrusted to him, is the most awfully responsible? How striking are the Judge's words: at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Your advice might have turned many from their evil way; your genius might have recommended religion; your leisure might have instructed the ignorant; your super. fluous wealth might have relieved the distress of many of my afflicted servants; and thus at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. May the Spirit of God enlighten us to discern the talents which belong to our respective stations and acquirements, and the way in which it is his will that we should trade with them: that whether over many things or over few, we may be found faithful, and admitted to the joy of our Lord. LECTURE LXIII. THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAST JUDGMENT DESCRIBED. MATT. XXV. 31-46. 31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. A description is here given us of that awful day, which shall assign their everlasting destiny to all the children of Adam. A description uttered by him, who is himself the arbiter of that destiny. He who will be himself judge, declares the grounds of his judgment. He who is "the door" of the heavenly kingdom, declares whom he will admit, and whom he will exclude. He, to whom "all things are delivered of the Father," declares in what manner he will execute his trust. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth :" "the Lord, even the most mighty God, hath spoken." 'Matt. xi. 27. |